Pages

August 12, 2011

G117: Red Sox 6, Mariners 4

Josh Reddick's two-run bomb gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead in the sixth, and Franklin Morales and Daniel Bard worked out of a sticky jam (2nd/3rd, 1 out) in the bottom of the seventh.

Lackey (6-10-4-2-3, 108) was as frustrating as ever, allowing six hits and two walks to the first 12 Seattle batters before settling down. The Mariners scored three runs in the first two innings, but they also left five men on base in those innings.

Lackey allowed a single to Dustin Ackley to start the seventh and was pulled. Morales gave up a single to Mike Carp, and Kyle Seager bunted the runners over to second and third. Several of Morales's pitches were in the dirt and Jarrod Saltalamacchia did a great job of keeping the ball from getting behind him (though Boston did have three wild pitches). Adam Kennedy swung and missed on a couple of curves before Morales caught him looking at a fastball. Bard struck out Miguel Olivo to end the inning.

Every Boston player had at least one hit, and David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie also hit dongs. Bard doused the fire in the seventh and stranded a man at third base in the eighth. He had a hellacious slider tonight; it seemed as hard to catch as a knuckleball.

The Yankees lost to the Rays 5-1 -- CC Sabathia allowed five solo home runs -- and dropped back to 2 GB.

In his last six starts, [Lackey] has a 3.58 ERA, and struck out 31 batters while walking just five in his 37.2 innings. Batters have been hitting him at a healthy .293 clip, but he has not been giving up as many big hits. The dropoff in walks has helped, and opponents have been slugging him at just .439 -- 70 points lower than his slugging-against in his first seven starts of the season. The way he outpitched CC Sabathia and held back the Yankees at Fenway last Saturday (six innings, three runs) really deserved more credit than it got.

Tonight's start against the Mariners is lined up to be a big Lackey night.

Beavan pitched against the Red Sox at Fenway on July 23 (6.2-9-3-0-4, 104); Josh Beckett and the Sox won 3-1.

David Ortiz, after an official appeal by the Red Sox, was awarded both RBIs on his first-inning single back on August 3 (and an error was taken away from Cleveland outfielder Austin Kearns). Although this incident began because Ortiz fell for a joke played by Dustin Pedroia, he was portrayed in the media as petty and selfish -- as though wanting proper credit for your work is a character flaw. Flo alluded to that when he announced: "I got my RBI. I'm a selfish player."

Jonathan Papelbon has been motivated this season by all of the doubts this spring surrounding his effectiveness.

Cinco Ocho loves haters. He loves to drink the Haterade, man. That's what Cinco Ocho fuels his engine with -- Haterade. ... Some people in this clubhouse need to be told how great they are to go out there and succeed. I like to be told I can't do something. Cinco Ocho needs to be told he stinks ...That's how he works, man.

buffalo was a big-time city a loooong time ago. now, just another depressed urban area abandoned by manufacturing.

"Originating around 1789 as a small trading community near the eponymous Buffalo Creek,[3] Buffalo grew quickly after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, with the city as its western terminus. By 1900, Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the United States,[6] and went on to become a major railroad hub,[7] and the largest grain-milling center in the country.[8] The latter part of the 20th Century saw a reversal of fortunes: Great Lakes shipping was rerouted by the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and steel mills and other heavy industry relocated to places such as China.[9] With the start of Amtrak in the 1970s, Buffalo Central Terminal was also abandoned, and trains were rerouted to nearby Depew, New York (Buffalo-Depew) and Exchange Street Station. By 1990 the city had fallen back below its 1900 population levels.[10]"

i expect him up in sept, sosh is saying he's shit vs. AL (esp. ALE) but he will dominate NL (which i am skeptical about)

but the only thing i put anything into is that he is probably better than randy williams as an LHP. if we don't have anyone else.

he has been doing well in AAA, had a rough patch recently, talk on SoSH is that the only reason he was able to dominate in his early years is because of his unconventional head-snap delivery....on the surface, it appears to be true (once hitters get more familiar with him, they hit him) but i haven't bothered to look it up yet.

in conclusion - nothing. i dunno if he has the ability to get outs vs. DET/TEX/CLE/NYY...but if they are going to stick him on the playoff roster, i sure damn hope so!